A new “Play” at handling digital Content files – Startups

Play is a unique & innovative single file format for images, videos & music files that can retrieve its Content from both remote & local sources. This dynamic file format also gives the creator of the file control over access rights to their files & specific aspects or properties of the file playback such as the duration, runtime, permitted geo-locations, the number of times the file can be played among other features at any point in time. Owners of Play files also get in-depth analytics about the whereabouts of their files & how it is being used.

Play distributes file Content elsewhere such as from a remote server or distributed network rather than on a user’s device. This helps to keep the file size as small as possible since relevant information can be fetched from the remote server at runtime. This is one of the best things about the Play file format as Play files are a lot smaller compared to other file types.

Typically, a Play file created to store data locally will weigh up to 70 to 90% less than the source file on the local disc. Similarly, a file that stores remote data can weigh as little as 4 to 200kb. For example, a 1GB video file will only weigh 200Kb as a remote play folder or 200MB as a local disc file & can be played on a device that has the Play plugin installed on it or directly on the Play Web player.

A Play file, on the other hand, has infinite capabilities. File owners & Content creators can now easily control almost every aspect of their files properties. For example, remote deletion/modification of data, geo-restrictions, various playback limitations, instant switching from one storage mode to another, content protection, etc.

Play uses a unique compression algorithm to reduce file size. This helps to adjust the file properties according to the complexity & type of input material.

These algorithms work by compiling specifications that make it possible for the file codec to store the smallest amount of information while still preserving the quality of the file. Basically, what Play does is to reduce the file information to just the things the viewer or listener can perceive with their eyes or ears & remove any additional information that isn’t needed. This helps to maximize size while optimizing the output quality of files. To do this Play relies on a distributed network known as Playground which is designed to help manage the external & internal communication of Play files.

Another unique feature of the Play file format is how much control it gives file creators. Users can seamlessly control & modify several properties of their files even after they have been distributed. This feature makes it possible to update playback right, grant or deny access to users, limit the playback duration or the number of times the file can be played among other features.

Image credit: DotPlay